With a name like The Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking you know I had to give it a try. Thanks to Chirp I listened to it on audio and it was ever so much fun. It’s a book set in a world with mages that are extremely specific. There are air mages, water mages, etc. but also mages that are less useful such as our main character who can only do magic with bread dough. Little things like telling it not to burn, or making gingerbread men dance. It’s enough to set her apart, but not to make her a threat.

Enter a very bad man that wants to make all mages into boogie men that need to be registered for a start, then disappeared in a hurry. Suddenly the little bread mage (only 14 years old) is on the run and needs to figure out right quick how to defend herself using nothing but dough.

It’s a tale both entertaining and meaningful with lots of political commentary and rumination on the role of  people granted power. The narration is as outstanding as the text itself. I will definitely be seeking out more books by T. Kingfisher!